VCT 2026 Stage 1 turned out to be one of the most exciting Valorant tournaments this spring. The competition in the Pacific and EMEA regions proved particularly thrilling, as the top teams were battling not only for the title of champion but also for spots at Masters London and the 2026 Esports World Cup. After several weeks of tense series, unexpected comebacks and upsets involving the favourites, the winners and runners-up were finally decided in the playoffs. In this article, we’ll cover the highlights of VCT 2026 Stage 1 and reveal who will be competing at Valorant Masters London.

VCT 2026 EMEA Stage 1: An Exciting Grand Final Between Heretics and Vitality

Out of all the VCT Stage 1 tournaments, EMEA attracted the most attention. Famous teams such as Team Heretics, Vitality, Fnatic, and NAVI took part in the event. At the beginning of the season, Fnatic looked like a team that might not even reach the Stage 1 final. A series of unstable matches, coordination problems, and questionable decisions in post-plant situations prevented them from securing prize-winning places at major tournaments. At VCT Stage 1, the team started very strongly with a 5-0 record in the Group Stage, but in the Playoffs Fnatic unexpectedly suffered two defeats and were eliminated from the tournament outside of the top 3 once again.

FUT Esports also delivered a strong performance, winning Group A and reaching the Lower Bracket Final in the Playoffs to finish in 3rd place. Thanks to their performance, FUT secured a slot at Masters London 2026 as well as 7 EMEA Points.

Let’s move on to the main event: the grand final between Team HERETICS and Vitality. This clash has been the talk of all esports platforms, and egw.news considers it one of the best matches of the season. The former put in a very strong tournament performance, with the team making a name for itself through a fast-paced style of play that causes problems for more structured line-ups. In the Group Stage, Vitality performed slightly below expectations, but in the Playoffs they exceeded all expectations.

Right from the first map of the grand final, the teams made it clear they weren’t going to back down. Vitality selected their favoured maps, Breeze and Pearl, and managed to win on them, but Heretics proved stronger on the other maps, winning 3-2. As a result, Vitality secure a slot at Valorant Masters London, whilst Heretics, in addition to qualifying for Masters London, also secure a slot at the Esports World Cup 2026.

VCT Pacific Stage 1: Gen.G’s Collapse And Paper Rex Continuing Their Streak

VCT 2026: Pacific Stage 1 also proved to be quite an exciting event. The tournament felt like a clash of different styles: Gen.G, T1 and Paper Rex were, as usual, the favourites.

Much to the disappointment of their fans, Gen.G performed very poorly. In the Group Stage, the team secured just one win and were eliminated from the tournament, finishing in the top 12. T1 also underperformed. Although the team won all their matches in the Group Stage and, according to Liquipedia statistics, lost on just one map, they secured only one victory in the Playoffs and finished in fourth place.

Paper Rex, for their part, played in their own style, which either completely dismantles the opponent or creates chaos for themselves, and in this case, it worked. The team won their group with a 4-1 record, and in the lower bracket of the Playoffs, they reached the grand final where they defeated FULL SENSE 3-0; FULL SENSE can be considered one of the major surprises of the tournament.

Top 3 teams of VCT 2026: Pacific Stage 1:

1. Paper Rex
2. FULL SENSE
3. Global Esports

The teams secured slots at Valorant Masters London, while Gen.G, as the winners, qualified for the Esports World Cup 2026. Victory at VCT 2026: Pacific Stage 1 marked Paper Rex’s third consecutive podium finish in tournaments this season.

Valorant Masters London 2026: Why Is This Tournament Important?

VALORANT Masters London 2026 will take place from May 6 to May 21 at the Copper Box Arena in London. A total of 12 teams will participate in the tournament, including the top 3 teams from each regional league.

China:

• EDward Gaming
• XLG Esports
• Dragon Ranger Gaming

EMEA:

• Heretics
• Vitality
• FUT Esports

Pacific:

• Paper Rex
• FULL SENSE
• Global Esports

The Americas tournament is still ongoing, so the final qualified teams from the region will be determined later.

VALORANT Masters London 2026 boasts a prize pool of $1 million, which is substantial for the discipline, and teams will also earn VCT Points based on their performances, which will influence invitations to future tournaments. Masters London 2026 will begin with a Swiss Stage featuring best-of-three matches, whilst the Playoffs will follow a double-elimination bracket, culminating in a best-of-five Grand Final. We recommend watching the tournament, even for those who aren’t interested in Valorant.

Conclusion

VCT 2026 Stage 1 has become one of the key tournaments of the season. In the Pacific, EMEA and China regions, the winners and runners-up have already been decided, whilst teams in the Americas are still playing their matches. The most successful teams were Paper Rex, Team Heretics and EDward Gaming, who, in addition to securing slots for Valorant Masters London, have qualified for the Esports World Cup 2026.

The main intrigue lies not only in the titles, but also in who is truly ready for VALORANT Masters London 2026. Stage 1 has already shown that consistency is now more important than big names, and only those line-ups that can quickly adapt to the meta and the pressure of the play-offs can win.